LIS

Virginia Law

Administrative Code

Creating a Report: Check the sections you'd like to appear in the report, then use the "Create Report" button at the bottom of the page to generate your report. Once the report is generated you'll then have the option to download it as a pdf, print or email the report.

Virginia Administrative Code
Title 4. Conservation And Natural Resources
Agency 20. Marine Resources Commission
Chapter 1250. Pertaining to the Tagging of Shellfish
11/21/2024

4VAC20-1250-20. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Bulk shellfish tag" means a shellfish tag that shall only be used for shellfish harvested from a single harvest area in any one day and accompanies a conveyance containing multiple containers of shellfish.

"Certified dealer" means a person to whom certification is issued by the Virginia Department of Health for the purposes of introducing shellfish into commerce.

"Certified dealer tag" means a shellfish tag, which is approved by the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Shellfish Sanitation, that shall only be used for shellfish harvested from a single harvest area, in any one day, and those shellfish are either loose in a conveyance or in a single container.

"Container" means any bag, box, sack, tote, or other receptacle that contains shellfish to be held, in any type of conveyance, for transport from the harvest area to the landing site and from the landing site to the point of sale or other use.

"Conveyance" means any form of transport, either mechanical, such as a boat or truck, or nonmechanical that is used to transport shellfish from the harvest area to the landing site or from the landing site to a certified dealer or other use.

"Direct marketing" means any shellfish or shellstock that is landed and sold without any post-harvest processing.

"Harvest" means the act of removing any shellfish or shellstock from a designated harvest area and placing that shellfish or shellstock in a container or on or in a conveyance.

"Land" or "landing" means to (i) enter port with finfish, shellfish, crustaceans, or other marine seafood on board any boat or vessel; (ii) begin offloading finfish, shellfish, crustaceans, or other marine seafood; or (iii) offload finfish, shellfish, crustaceans, or other marine seafood.

"Replant" or "replanting" means to place after harvest shellfish into waters as allowable by applicable law or permit.

"Restricted-use shellstock" means shellstock or shellfish harvested from approved shellfish growing areas that shall not be sold for direct marketing or raw consumption.

"Restricted-use shellstock tag" means a Virginia Marine Resources Commission-issued green tag that shall only be used by a certified dealer who has a current certificate of inspection as a shucker packer for shellstock or shellfish harvested from a single harvest area in any one day. Use of any such tag indicates that shellstock is intended for further processing prior to distribution to retail or food service.

"Shellfish" or "shellstock" means all species of bivalve molluscan shellfish.

"Single harvest area" means one of the water areas established by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for reporting fisheries statistics.

"Shellfish harvester tag" means a shellfish tag that shall only be used for shellfish harvested from a single harvest area, in any one day, and those shellfish are either loose in a conveyance or in a single container.

"Shucker packer" means a person who shucks and packs shellfish under a certificate of inspection issued by the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Shellfish Sanitation.

"Temperature control" means the use of ice or mechanical refrigeration, which is capable of lowering the temperature of the shellstock and maintaining it at 50°F (10°C) or less, as approved by the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Shellfish Sanitation.

Statutory Authority

§ 28.2-201 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 27, Issue 19, eff. May 1, 2011; amended, Virginia Register Volume 28, Issue 21, eff. May 31, 2012; Volume 38, Issue 2, eff. October 1, 2021.

Website addresses provided in the Virginia Administrative Code to documents incorporated by reference are for the reader's convenience only, may not necessarily be active or current, and should not be relied upon. To ensure the information incorporated by reference is accurate, the reader is encouraged to use the source document described in the regulation.

As a service to the public, the Virginia Administrative Code is provided online by the Virginia General Assembly. We are unable to answer legal questions or respond to requests for legal advice, including application of law to specific fact. To understand and protect your legal rights, you should consult an attorney.